Smithay/smithay

Smithay is a library for building Wayland compositors in Rust. It provides reusable building blocks and abstractions that handle common compositor functionality without imposing a complete framework, allowing developers to use only the components they need. The library implements the core Wayland protocols, official protocol extensions, and external extensions from projects like wlroots and KDE, abstracting away low-level details while remaining accessible to those who need deeper control.

Smithay addresses the challenge of compositor development by offering modular, high-level interfaces for functionality that nearly all compositors require. Rather than forcing developers to start from scratch or adopt a rigid framework, it supplies documented, memory-safe abstractions in Rust that handle protocol implementation and common patterns. Developers retain full control over which components to use and how to structure their compositor.

Smithay suits developers building custom Wayland compositors who want to leverage existing protocol implementations and common patterns without being locked into a specific architectural approach. It is particularly valuable for those prioritizing memory safety and clear documentation. The project includes Anvil, a sample compositor demonstrating how to use the library, which serves as both a reference implementation and a learning tool for getting started.

The project maintains active communication channels through Matrix and IRC. Development shows consistent engagement with protocol support, as evidenced by implementations spanning core Wayland, official extensions, and protocols from multiple external projects. The codebase emphasizes comprehensive API documentation alongside the library itself, reflecting a commitment to making compositor development accessible to new users.